The struggle of women textile workers in Tunisia

In a very interesting article written by Jenny Tsiropoulou, the situation of women textile workers in Tunisia is depicted. Crisis has been knocking out the industry in the last years, where the conditions of workers were sadly similar to other slave-like places, as one woker said:

“There was immense exploitation. We were forced to work 10 hours per day, seven days per week for less than the minimum wage. We were entitled to a one-hour lunch break, but whoever exceeded 30 minutes had to work extra time. The chief locked us inside in order to complete our shift. If I refused, the next day I was punished, having to stand against the wall for hours. The owner accused us of being unskillful, cutting our pays. He humiliated us and took away our dignity”.

But the article illustrates the case of Mamotex, a garment factory where workers have taken the power to manage their future, against a situation where the owner was prone to close and to leave them withouth their jobs and several unpaid wages. Fortunately, the courage of the workers that firstly formed a trade union, is an example of how the stuggle can improve labour conditions and draw a brighter future. But the difficulties still remain, an the article explains why.